What we know about ELLIOTT Bertrude

Fitter 42838 Bertrude Elliott was born in Colaton Raleigh on 3 January 1884, the son of Walter and Helena May (nee Hitchcock). He had an older brother called William. He was the cousin of Arthur Lake as their mothers were sisters. Bertrude married Ellen Lapwood, from Millwall in London, and records show they had two children.

Bertrude was a Fitter with D Battery of 174th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, who died on 1 February 1917.

He is one of seven casualties from the RFA who died on that day and who are remembered with honour at the Menin Road South cemetery. The 174th was part of the 39th (Deptford) Divisional Artillery, raised in May 1915 after an appeal by the Mayor of Deptford for men to sign up to fight, which went to war in March 1916.

As Bertude was married to a woman from London, and served in a Kent-based unit, he may have moved to the South East when he married.

He is also remembered with honour on the memorial plaque at St John’s Church, Colaton Raleigh.